Page 130 of Beautiful Deception

With a snarl, I attack Finn from behind and tackle him to the floor. Erik kicks Finn’s gun away.

“You just shot at my sister!” I shout as I begin to rain down punches onto Finn’s face. But that doesn’t keep him down. He attacks me back.

Grabbing my throat, he shoves me off him. “She’s fine. I didn’t kill her.”

A quick glance in the door’s direction shows Julia hunkered behind it. I can just see her through the crack in the door. She doesn’t look hurt.

But Finn has crossed a motherfucking line.

I attack Finn again and we throw punches and kicks at each other. Erik and Dante stay out of it.

“We were partners,” Finn snarls.

“For a time. But I’ve changed my mind.” Punch. Finn stumbles back.

“I want my revenge, Viktor.” Punch. This time, I stumble back.

On and on and on it goes.

“Stop it!” Julia cries.

“Get her out of here!” I yell at Erik or Dante. I don’t care who.

Erik storms into the hallway and moves Julia away from the door.

Finn keeps coming at me. The pure anger in his eyes is unstoppable. I knew Finn was pissed off at the world but this is the first time I’ve seen his anger directed at me.

And it’s frankly terrifying, I’ll be honest.

He is a beast who won’t be stopped unless he’s killed. He’ll always want war.

It doesn’t matter what I really want. If I want Erik or Dante dead, or if I want to work with them. What matters is that I’ve pissed off Finn and he’ll never stop until I’m dead.

I grab the heavy paperweight off my desk and smack it into the side of his head.

With a grunt, he stumbles back into the wall.

Finn looks between me and Dante as blood seeps from his head. For a second, I think I see fear in his eyes.

And then he bolts from the room.

Dante and I exchange a look before we follow. Erik is holding Julia in the hallway but lets her go the moment Dante and I leave the room. Finn runs for the front door.

I pull my gun out of my jacket pocket and raise it towards Finn’s back.

But then Dante grabs my arm and lowers it. “No. It should be Aiden who takes his own brother down. Not one of us.”

I rip away from Dante and try to fire at Finn but he’s already left the house. When I run outside, I don’t see Finn anywhere. Fucking bastard. How he manages to always escape is beyond me.

I rush back inside and get in Dante’s face. “You shouldn’t have stopped me!”

“This war is started because of Finn’s anger with his brother. It’s up to Aiden to finish it.”

“No. It’s just because you and he are friends.”

Dante scoffs. “Finn and I are no longer friends.”

“But you were at one point. Still have a soft spot for him, do you?”